Orlando Magic: 3 silver linings from Mohamed Bamba’s injury
By Luke Duffy
Rookie Mohamed Bamba may be lost for some time due to injury, but the Orlando Magic can still find a few silver linings in this tough news.
The recent news that Orlando Magic rookie Mohamed Bamba will miss significant time with a left leg fracture is a blow to the organization. First reported by ESPN‘s Adrian Wojnarowski, it is also an unlucky turn of events for the young player, who had struggled to find consistency and a lot of playing time in the 47 games he played before going down.
Although Bamba only averaged 16.3 minutes per game during that span, starting just once, he was allowed to grow on the court and make the mistakes that young players do. Amazingly, he was also averaging 1.3 blocks per game, which is the 18th-highest mark in the entire NBA.
Although his defensive ability as a whole was questionable in year one, Bamba will still be an important part of the Magic’s future both next year and beyond. With Nikola Vucevic hitting unrestricted free agency this summer, Bamba could begin next season as their starting center.
While the drawbacks to this news are obvious, if you look hard enough it is possible to see some positives too. At a time when the Magic are still trying to make the playoffs, putting the right spin on any news associated with a struggling the team is important.
This also goes beyond simply stating things such as it gives Bamba plenty of time to get in the weight room to add some muscle, or to watch as much film as he can to improve his game. Here are three other silver linings from this news, both in the short- and long-term.